


A Light in the Dark

by aepeech



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Broken, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Depression, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Memories, Music, Other, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Secrets, Trauma, emotionally hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-20 09:30:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16134473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aepeech/pseuds/aepeech
Summary: After slaving away at Joja, Andrea knows this isn't the life she's always hoped for. One day leads to another, then she realizes she can't live this way anymore. Completely leaving everything behind, she moves out to the small community of Pelican Town. Though the scars of yesterday remain, she pushes it aside and manages to hide them for now. She is aware that she can't go through all of the pain she's endured alone, but when times are tough, she knows there's always a light in the darkness of the world.





	1. Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thanks for checking this fanfiction out, it means a lot! This is my second try and writing fanfiction, and I hope to get the ball rolling soon enough. My ability to write chapters can take a while, so please be patient. Also, feel free to give constructive criticism and advice!  
> In future chapters, there are some heavy trigger warnings as this is going to be a really angst and drama heavy fic. I'll put trigger warnings in the notes as the parts come but if that kind of thing isn't your cup of tea, I would recommend that you don't read this. 
> 
> Also, some of this work was inspired by another work here called "The Runaway Dream" by Rainbownomja. It's a wonderful fic, and if you're looking for some high quality stuff, I would recommend you check it out!  
> I hope you enjoy reading this. I'd love to hear what you'd think about this so please feel free to comment, give kudos, or yell at me for taking too long to write chapters. =)

_"...And, for my_ _very special_ _granddaughter," he began, holding out a small envelope. "I want you to have this sealed envelope." He held it out for Andrea who took it, itching with curiosity to see what was inside. Before she could do anything else, her grandfather spoke once again._

_"No, no, don't open it yet... have patience." he scolded softly. "Now, listen close... there will come a day where you feel crushed by the burden of modern life, and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my dear, you may open this gift."_

_He smiled weakly at her as he held his granddaughter's hand. Andrea clutched the envelope close to herself. She was going to cherish this gift from her loving grandfather. All the many things he taught her, the memories she'd made. What would she do without him? She blinked back her tears as they threatened to spill once he gave his final words._

_"Now, let grandpa rest..."_

 

"Andrea, wake up."

Andrea's eyes flew open, then put a hand over her face once a bright sunlight came down on her. She groaned and threw a pillow over her face. Reality was settling in, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Andrea, come on, wake up!" Damian, her roommate and good friend exclaimed.

"What time is it?" she grumbled, still half asleep.

"Time for you to get your lazy ass out of bed!"

Andrea then threw a pillow at Damian, who didn't react fast enough to dodge the incoming cushion to the face. He didn't really seem to care about Andrea's attitude or her clear sign to leave her alone. She sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her eyes. She checked the time; seven forty-five.

"Why does work have to start so early?" she muttered.

Damian shrugged. "Joja sure is determined to work us to the bone."

Andrea scoffed. "As if we're slaves."

"Hey, at least we get coffee breaks!"

Andrea rolled her eyes at her friend as she stood up. "As long as any job has coffee breaks, you'd want to work there, Damian."

"Can you really blame me?" he grinned, then left the room.

Andrea sighed, then made her way to the bathroom. She had no time to take a shower, so she splashed some cold water on her face to try and wake herself up. After tugging at some knots in her long light brown hair, she decided to tie it into a messy ponytail. As for clothing, she put on some simple ripped jeans and a layered white shirt, then pulled on a grey wool cardigan. A few strands of hair fell from her ponytail, but she could've cared less.

She made her way to the small kitchen to find Damian sipping a mug of coffee. He didn't seem to notice Andrea walk into the kitchen. She went to heat up some water in a kettle, but then eyed the sink. There were three coffee-stained mugs sitting in there. Damian wasn't the one to really reuse any silverware or cutlery.

"Damian," Andrea began, then gestured to the coffee mug he was currently drinking out of. "Is that your  _fourth_  cup of coffee?"

Damian grinned sheepishly. "What can I say? I crave this every morning."

"It's something called addiction." Andrea pointed out. "And right now, you're addicted to caffeine like it's some sort of drug. It's not good for you if you have too much." She sounded like someone else's mother, but her words were true.

Damian didn't reply, as he was taking the last sip of his coffee. Once he placed his mug down on the counter with a small clatter, he irrelevantly said, "Better hurry it up, Andy. Don't want to be late for work."

Andrea rolled her eyes. "I could care less," she replied, taking a sip of her tea. "Besides, I'd rather show up late to my job than get fired on the spot."

Damian nodded admittedly. "Fair point."

He adjusted his glasses, then went to the sink to rinse out his coffee mug. It didn't do much, since the mug was already stained with coffee. Andrea eyed the sink once again.

"If you keep this up, you're gonna have to wash the dishes for two straight weeks." she stated.

"Come on," Damian pouted. "I need my coffee to keep me energized."

"Sure, you can do that, but just reuse any of the coffee mugs you drink out of."

"You sure are bossy, Andrea."

"Mind you, that I'm the one who pays most of the rent for this apartment, Damian."

He rolled his eyes at her, but then grinned. "Of course. What would I do without you?"

"Live on the streets."

Damian let out a short laugh, then strolled over to the entryway. Andrea rinsed out her cup, grabbed her leather bag, then followed him. She slid on her black canvas shoes, then grabbed her car keys. She sighed as she and her friend walked out the front door. It was going to be another boring day working at the office.

 

When they got to the office building, it looked as dull as ever, inside and out. Although the people themselves seemed talkative and colored with emotion, the office was the exact opposite. Work would start at eight-thirty, so practically everyone who got there early were talking in groups. As Andrea was making her way to her cubicle with Damian beside her (they were desk neighbors), when she felt someone put their arm around her shoulder. She whipped around to find Jack, a guy who had practically set his life on winning her heart. Andrea never fell for him, as his feeble attempts to get her to notice him were pathetic.

"What the hell do you want now?" Damian snapped at him before Andrea could say anything.

Jack lifted his arm off of her shoulder and looked at him with humor in his eyes. "Whoa, did someone not get to their second cup of coffee? Or are you jealous because Andrea here likes me more?" he sneered.

The look Andrea shot Jack with was pure ice; a clear sign to leave both her and Damian alone. Jack straightened and walked away.

"Hopefully we don't run into anymore jackasses around here." Andrea muttered to Damian.

"Is Tyler one of those?" he asked, pointing ahead of them.

Andrea shrugged. She didn't know. Tyler was her ex, so it was awkward between them, especially since they worked in the same building together. They had broken up, so Andrea sort of hated him with a passion, but he was still nice to her—well, in public, at least. Both of them had dated for two years at the end of high school, but eventually things didn't work out. His voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey," he said, as he walked by.

Andrea ignored him. She didn't want to talk to him right now. She made her way to her cubicle and sat at her desk. She set her leather bag down and eyed at her computer as it hummed quietly once she turned it on. Looking around her desk, she saw the mountains and mountains of paperwork that needed to be completed, signed and collated. If you could replay those words, that would practically be her whole day.

It was hours until the mountain of paperwork had seemed to shrink, but it was still a mountain. Today didn't seem like a productive day. She kept thinking about the dream she had that morning. She'd never had any kind of dream like it. Her grandfather's voice was repeating over and over in her head.

 

_"There will come a day where you feel crushed by the burden of modern life, and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my dear, you may open this gift."_

 

"Crushed by the burden on modern life." Andrea mumbled. "What could he mean?"

She hadn't touched her grandfather's envelope since the day he passed on, but she still kept it close to her heart. Yet every time she felt crushed by modern life, she couldn't bring herself to open his envelope. She was too anxious, but still itching with curiosity to see what was inside.

"Since when did you start talking to yourself?"

Damian's voice made her startled and she jumped. Andrea looked to the entrance of her small cubicle to see her friend giving her a grin. She scoffed.

"And since when did you start creeping up on me?" she replied.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that it's lunch break. Tyler also wanted to see you—he's in the break room."

"Tell him he can stick it."

Damian nodded. "Alright. Kind of what he deserves, anyways."

 

With that, he turned and left, leaving Andrea alone. She sighed. She wanted to be alone, but the atmosphere of the office building wasn't helping her current situation. Getting up from her chair and out of the cramped cubicle, she made her way to the cool grey of outside. She passed by numerous people, avoiding eye contact.

She walked up to the rooftop, wind lightly brushing her hair. It was early spring, so it was chilly outside. Andrea let out a slow breath, looking out to the horizon. She hated the city, hated the dull atmosphere. She longed to be back at Ravenwood Acres, her grandfather's farm. It was peaceful, but more importantly, much better than the city. She remembered the memories she had made back at the farm, how she talked and talked about how she wanted to grow up to be a farmer. Her grandfather practically raised her on that farm, and Andrea missed it dearly.

It took her a moment to figure out what she was piecing together.

 

_"Crushed by the burden on modern life."_

 

A sudden wave a realization hit her and she gasped. Andrea turned her heel and ran back towards her cubicle. She hesitantly but quickly opened doors and people passed by. It felt like all of it was happening so slowly. Andrea begged her feet to move faster. As she reached the entrance to her cluttered cubicle, she stopped suddenly. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she carefully stepped in. She inched towards her desk and her eyes wavered to its bottom drawer.

Her hand hovered above the handle and eased the drawer open. The only thing inside of it was the envelope from her grandfather. She pulled it out and gently placed it on her desk. She sat in her chair, not knowing what was inside. Was it words of wisdom? Or just more memories? She stared at the envelope blankly. Rubbing her temple, she glanced at the polaroids on her cubicle's wall. The photographs held the memories she made at her grandfather's farm. In one of them, she was climbing a tree in the fields of his farm. She was about seven or so. She remembered that specific day all her life, how simple it was to have a care-free life. With sudden confidence and a smile, Andrea picked up the envelope, opening it slowly. Inside, there were a few papers. They seemed to be important documents, like legal papers or something. She didn't pay them any mind. What caught her attention was a small piece of folded paper that looked like a handwritten note. The writing was in neat printing, and Andrea remembered seeing her grandfather's handwriting. Unfolding the letter, she quickly read it over.

 

_Dear Andrea,_

_If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, years ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place where I truly belonged._

_I've enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: Ravenwood Acres. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life. This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my girl. Good luck._

_Love, Grandpa_

_P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?_

 

Andrea was on the verge of tears. The letter her grandfather wrote her managed to tug at her heartstrings. He knew how she felt. She had never known why he had lived on his farm, but now it was clear. He once was in her shoes. When she was ready, she was more than welcome to take over the farm and call it her own. Andrea was more than dumbfounded. Had it been here all this time? She leaned back in her chair, looking around her dull cubicle. She could leave all of this behind. She could start over. She could bring back her memories. She could live properly again.

Her mind was racing. What could she do? Was leaving everything she had just for a simple wish really the responsible thing to do? What if she failed as a farmer? What-if statements flooded her mind and she shook them out of her head. If she wanted to escape her old life, escape the concrete jungle, and she could inherit her grandfather's farm. She didn't want to stay cramped up in an office anymore. She didn't want to do anymore paperwork. She wanted to go back to the farm. Andrea had settled on a decision; she was leaving the city.

In what felt like an eternity, she finally felt confident again. She got up from her chair and dashed out of her cubicle. With her back straight and footsteps strong, she walked to her boss's office. No knock, no waiting for permission to come in.

"Sir," she said, her voice loud and clear, it even startled herself.

"Andrea, I'm in-"

"I quit."

Without waiting for a response, she left as quickly as she had entered. As she walked back to her cubicle with long strides, she glanced at the clock. It was almost one. If she packed quickly enough, she could be out of the city in a few hours. She found a box big enough to store all of her belongings in before leaving the office building. Once she was done packing, she looked around her empty cubicle, ignoring the ringing phone. This was it. Andrea didn't know what else was in store for her, but she was one-hundred percent sure that there was no turning back now.

Once Andrea had arrived back at her apartment, she immediately began packing. She had left work and didn't even tell Damian that she was leaving. She would tell him eventually, but right now, she was focused on another task; leaving the city.

She brushed past the kitchen and living room, looking around. It would be the last time in a while she would ever see the place she'd called home. She bought this place with her best friend, made so many memories in this apartment. For what felt like the hundredth time, Andrea was on the verge of tears. She knew Damian wouldn't want her to leave, but the move was her choice, and no one else's.

She emptied out her little abode of her personal possessions into one large duffel bag. Her polaroid camera, her scrapbook, her sketchbook, just to name a few. But most importantly, her acoustic guitar. Her grandfather taught her how to play the guitar years ago, and it was one of the most cherishable memories she'd made. Andrea smiled and remembered the many songs she'd written and performed in front of her family. Music was her passion and she would spend hours writing songs she would sing and play.

She was lowering the instruments into its guitar case when she heard the apartment's front door open and close. She ignored it, seeing as she had to hustle. Footsteps were heard, and they were getting closer. Without looking over her shoulder, Andrea knew it was Damian.

"You're home early." she said.

"So are you. Why aren't you at work?"

"I quit. What else?"

"This is unlike you. You don't usually do things like this. What're you up to?" His voice changed from genuine concern to suspiciousness. He was worried. Andrea bit her lip and let out a slow breath. Damian wasn't going to take the news very lightly.

"I'm leaving."

There was a long pause between the two of them. Damian looked at her with wide eyes. Andrea could tell he was shocked.

_"What?"_

"You heard me. I'm leaving the city."

"You're just going to pick up everything and leave? Are you insane?!" There was now an obvious hint of anger in his tone of voice.

Andrea nodded numbly. She hated seeing Damian angry.

"And for what, Andrea? Where're you going to go?"

"To my grandfather's old farm. In Stardew Valley." Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

"Andrea, why?" Damian now lowered his voice. "Don't you like it here?"

"Damian, isn't it obvious?" Andrea said, avoiding his gaze. "I hate it here. I don't want to be stuck in a cramped cubicle doing paperwork. I don't want to be dragged down by the burden of modern life. I just want to be  _happy._ " She looked up at him and saw that his expression softened. Concern was now written all over his face.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I should've known."

Andrea gave him a sad smile. "No, it's fine. I guess I should've told you earlier."

"But you did tell me now. That's all that matters," Damian stated, then sighed. "And I know you've already made up your mind, but are you sure about moving to the farm?"

"Yes. It's official."

Damian sighed once again. "I respect your decision. Knowing you, no one can really change your mind."

"Damned straight."

"Y'know, I'm really going to miss having you around. You're my best friend."

His words tugged at Andrea's heartstrings. It was a bittersweet moment. She was glad that her friend respected her decision of moving to Stardew Valley to inherit her grandfather's old farm, but yet still sad because she was leaving. But Damian was her best friend, and would be at her side, in person or in spirit. He would be there, no matter what.

It only took about an hour before the both of them had finished packing up all of Andrea's belongings and the apartment was looking slightly emptier. They were both talking and laughing, just like the old times. She almost didn't want to leave his side. Once she zipped up her nearly overflowing duffel bag, she looked around the bare apartment. Although Andrea herself thought the place she called home was a piece of crap, she was going to miss it.

"Everything ready?" Damian asked.

"Yep." she responded, picking up her duffel bag and guitar case.

With a heavy sigh, she followed Damian to the front door and took one last look at her apartment before closing the door. Walking down the stairs, the pair got into the car and drove to the bus terminal. It was a quiet ride, the both of them not saying much. Andrea tapped her fingers at the wheel. She was getting excited and anxious at the same time. What if she didn't like life as a farmer? What if the townsfolk there now despised her? Her stomach knotted up tightly and it took more than a few deep breaths to help her calm down. Surely Pelican Town was going to be much better than the dreary city.


	2. Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrea's first day as the new farmer takes an unexpected turn.

The ride to Pelican Town was much more comfortable than Andrea had expected, thanks to Damian's last-minute surprise of a ticket on the coach bus. She would have been fine on the usual bus, but it was a five-hour ride and he insisted that she should be comfortable during the long ride. He'd looked like he was about to start crying when they announced her bus departure over the terminal's speaker. He almost didn't let her out of his tight hug in time for her to catch her ride, and only did so when Andrea promised she'd be back to visit.

Most of the ride she'd spent dozing off, but couldn't find herself to fall into a deep sleep. She was too excited but also terrified at the same time. Trees and greenery whizzed by before she realized that the bus was coming to a stop. The driver called back to the few passengers in the bus that they had arrived at Pelican Town and Andrea awkwardly got up from her plush seat with her bags. She figured she was the only one who was going to Pelican Town. She sighed and watched as the bus disappeared down the road. This was it. Her new life.

"Andrea?"

At the sound of a voice, she turned around to see a woman with pumpkin-colored hair looking at her with curiosity shining in her emerald green eyes. Andrea saw something familiar in her, and it only took her a moment to recognize her as Robin, one of the many people she remembered from the town. The middle-aged woman grinned and stepped up to her, giving her a big hug.

"My goodness, it really is you! You've grown up so much!" she exclaimed. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Same here." Andrea smiled as the middle-aged woman released her from her hug. "It's good to see you again, Robin."

"Twelve years seem to fly by, doesn't it? I remember when you used to play with my son, Sebastian whenever you would visit."

"I did?" Andrea raised her eyebrow. For some reason, she could only remember very specific people, but not her childhood friends.

"You did," Robin replied with a nod, her smile growing bigger. "You two and Sam and Abigail used to hang out all the time when you were around. The four of you looked so happy together. Maybe you could all get together and relive the old days."

"They're all still here?"

"They've come and gone, but right now they're all living right here in Pelican Town. They even get together to hang out at the saloon every Friday night."

Andrea felt relieved to hear that. Perhaps she didn't remember them very well, but it was nice knowing that they were still here in her new hometown. She would have to try and get in touch with them once she'd taken some time to settle in.

"But enough of my rambling," Robin said. "I bet you're tired after that long trip here. Come along and I'll show you to the farm."

The both of them chatted as they walked from the bus stop to the farm, and Andrea found out what she had missed in the twelve years she hadn't been to the small community. The redheaded woman also assured Andrea that Robin herself and the mayor had taken the task of cleaning up the old farmhouse for her use, even adding some new furniture to help her feel more at home.

"I will warn you, though," Robin said as they neared the farm. "The place has seen better days. After all, the farm's been abandoned ever since your grandfather passed away."

Andrea gave her a slight nod, not quite sure what to expect when she got there. After she had caught a glimpse of the once beloved farm that belonged to her grandfather, she let out an audible gasp of shock and saw just how run-down the place had become. The small cottage was alright, and looked much more pristine than the fields. The land surrounding the house had become overgrown with weeds, along with the many trees that seemed to be claiming the area back, as they were growing in random spots. Various twigs and stones were littering the ground around them.

"What's the matter?" Robin asked. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but there's good soil underneath that mess!"

Just as she said so, the front door of the house opened and an old man with hair streaked with grey came out, wiping his hands with a cloth.

"Mayor Lewis!" Robin called out to him. "Look who's here!"

The man squinted slightly as he looked at Andrea, then gave her a wide smile and came down the front steps of the house's porch. He held his hand out towards her, and she reached out her hand to shake his in greeting. He looked over her once again as his smile turned into a grin.

"By Yoba, it really is you!" he exclaimed. "The last time I saw you, you were about this tall." He momentarily held his hand just below his hip, then ruffled her hair. "Your grandfather would be proud to see you taking over his farm." he said. Andrea suddenly remembered Mayor Lewis many times around town, except with much less grey in his hair.

"I remember when you used to come over to the farm and play cards with my grandfather." she recalled.

"That's right!" Lewis beamed. "We were the best of friends, despite our age difference. He even helped me run my campaign to become mayor." He paused for a moment. " But you didn't come here to hear an old man reminisce about an old friend." He sighed and turned back to the cottage. "I afraid it's not much, but it's still in good condition. Robin and I did our best to make it comfortable to live in."

"And if you ever decide you'd like to spruce up the place, you can always see me for help," Robin offered. "I also do things like barns, too, and I charge a fair price."

"Ah, typical Robin," Lewis said. "Andrea has been here for less than an hour and you're already trying to get her to hire you."

"It's not like there's anyone else who can do all the work," Robin responded. "Besides, it's practically your fault that this place was left to go to such waste. Some friend you are, Lewis."

"Hey!" Lewis exclaimed, then let out a hearty chuckle. "Alright, fair point. But keep in mind that it's not just us that do all the work. I'm sure plenty of others in town are willing to help you get this place back up and running."

"You should ask my son to help you out," Robin suggested. "It would be good for him to get out of the house once in a while."

"Good luck with that." Lewis grumbled, folding his arms.

"Am I missing something?" Andrea asked, looking at both of them with a confused look on her face.

"It's just that... Sebastian has... definitely changed over these past few years." Robin stumbled on her words. "I sure you'll know what I mean when you visit my shop."

Andrea nodded. She was slightly confused as to what Robin meant. Sure, she knew that people could change over the years, but surely her friends didn't change as much as she thought.

"Anyways, we'll let you get settled in. You must be exhausted after that long journey." Lewis told her. "Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and reintroduce yourself to some of the townsfolk. I'm sure many of them will be overjoyed to see you again."

"Alright." Andrea smiled, and watched as both Robin and the mayor headed in the direction of the bus stop.

Sighing, she turned the doorknob to reveal the cottage she'd seen many times in her childhood memories. It was dimly lit, since the sun began to set against the horizon. She reached for a light switch and a bright light shone in front of her eyes. Grimacing, she blinked a few times to get used to the artificial light. Once she came back to her senses, she noticed the open living room complete with a fireplace and a sectional couch along with an oak coffee table.  _Cozy._ Around the corner, Andrea noticed an attached room which looked like a mini study. In front of her, she saw an arched door that led to an open kitchen. Next to the kitchen led to a hallway which had a bathroom, a bedroom and two empty rooms. Overall, her new home reminded her of her apartment; (sort of) small, cozy and straight to the point. But here, she felt a sense of belonging.

She stepped into her new bedroom and dropped both her guitar case and duffel bag and slumped in exhaustion. She was tired, especially since she couldn't catch any sleep on the bus ride. Andrea checked the time, and saw that it was already seven forty-two. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep for an eternity. Tomorrow, she would unpack and get ready to reunite with a few of the villagers in the community. She quickly changed her sleep attire _—_ a simple layered tank top and leggings _—_ and collapsed into the soft bedding. She sighed contently and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
  


Andrea woke up to the sound of her phone chiming. She rubbed her eyes as she regained her bearings. She didn't really remember what happened before she had slept, but she  _definitely_  didn't remember setting an alarm. Picking up her phone, she realized that it wasn't an alarm that woke her up _—_ it was a phone call. Scanning the caller ID, she saw that Damian was calling her. Andrea groaned audibly before answering her friend's call.

"Hey!" Damian exclaimed.

"Why did you have to wake me up at five in the morning?" Andrea muttered.

"Sorry. I already miss you."

Andrea rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm gone forever, you idiot. And that doesn't explain why you called me at this gods forsaken hour."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all."

"I'm doing  _splendid,_  especially since my so-called best friend woke me up way too early." she grumbled, sarcasm coating every word she spoke.

"Get used to it. You're gonna have to learn to be an early bird from now on."

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." Andrea said. "Anyway, how are things going now that I'm gone?"

"Just fine, I suppose. I do have to learn how to pay the apartment's rent on my own, now."

"I'm sure you'll handle it just fine."

"I hope so. In the meantime, I gotta get ready for work." Damian explained.

"Alright. Talk to you later, Dame."

Andrea ended the call, then sighed. Hopefully her days working on an actual farm would be better than working in the old cubicle farm. She prayed that nothing bad would happen to her in her first days as the new farmer. She still laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't find herself to go back to sleep. Her body kept telling her that she needed to get up. She found herself to get up out of the plush bedding and towards the bathroom across from her bedroom. Andrea then took a quick shower to try and freshen up. It took more than a few minutes to dry her long hair once she was out of the shower. She pinned her light brown tresses up into a messy bun, then pulled on a maroon hoodie from her duffel bag. As for the rest of her clothes, she hung them up in the bedroom closet.

Andrea pushed both her guitar case and duffel bag aside, slipped on her canvas shoes and dashed outside, seeing as she had to hustle. As soon as she stepped out onto the porch, she noticed a package sitting next to the stairs. She began to open it, and inside were fifteen small packages of seeds which were labeled as parsnip seeds. A note was also inside the small box.

_Here's a little something to get you started._

_-Mayor Lewis_

Well, at least now Andrea wouldn't have to wait until the local general store was open. She doubted that it would be open at the peak of dawn. She tucked the parsnip seeds in her hoodie's pocket, then stepped down from the porch to then notice a large crate tucked away around the side of the small cottage.  _Was that always there?_ Andrea stepped up to the crate and cautiously eased the lid open. Inside, there were multiple tools that she knew were necessary for farming. A scythe, a hoe, a watering can, an axe and a pickaxe. She set them all down on the ground but kept the pickaxe and axe at hand to clear out some of the overgrown fields.

After a small clearing was made, Andrea tilled some of the newly cleared soil and planted all fifteen parsnips that Mayor Lewis gave her. The fifteen crops were now watered, and it only took Andrea around an hour or two to do all of those tasks. She remembered her grandfather teaching her a thing or two about farming, and she kept it in the back of her head. Andrea wiped her blistered hands on her black leggings and muttered a curse. She made a mental note to herself to buy a pair of gloves and some boots. Sneakers were not good for rough terrain, and bare hands weren't good for wrapping around the handles of clunky tools.

About an hour later, Andrea managed to clear out more of her fields, giving it more of a polished look instead of an overgrown look. It was excruciating work, but at least stray twigs, stones and other assorted forage weren't strewn across the place. Her body ached, but it was worth it. She stretched her sore limbs and let out a slow breath. It wasn't even the afternoon, but she was already out of energy. She dusted off her leggings and began to walk to town. Maybe a walk around town could help cure her problems. She did need to introduce herself to the townsfolk, after all. She reached the small pathway that led to the small bus station, and realized that everything beyond that point would be new.

It wasn't long until Andrea came to a clearing filled to the brim with sunlight and buildings. It was almost too bright for her eyes, because bright sunlight was something Andrea was definitely  _not_  used to. The air was warm and comforting, and the birds chirped merry songs to their heart's content. Street lamps sat alongside the small cobblestone paths that led to the small town square, and rows of houses were tucked away in small areas. Andrea eyed one specific building that was large, and had a sign which read 'Pierre's'. The building itself didn't show much context, but Andrea took a guess that it was the local general store she remembered from her days as a child on her grandfather's farm. She hoped so. Otherwise, she would only be making a complete fool of herself. She pulled open one of the double glass doors to see that she was right. Shelves were lined with all kinds of supplements, from seeds to cooking wares. Just as she opened the door, she was to be greeted by a familiar face.

"Hello, you must be the new farm-" He stopped himself and peered at her over his glasses. "Andrea Hayes, is that you? You're the new farmer?"

Andrea grinned at him. "Yes, it's me, Pierre. It's nice to see you again."

"I haven't seen you in years! How have you been?"

"I'm fine, what about you?"

"Oh, you know, everything's the same as always. Anyways, what do you need?" he asked, as Andrea walked up to the counter he was behind.

"I just need a few things," she answered. "A pair of gloves, some leather boots, and... some cauliflower seeds."

She watched as the shopkeeper rummaged through multiple boxes, finding the right supplies for her. One by one, he began to pull out the requested items onto the counter; a pair of gloves, a pair of leather boots, and ten packages of cauliflower seeds. Pierre registered her items and put them all in one bag. Finalizing her purchase, Andrea held her bag and readied to leave. The shopkeeper also gave her a map of the town; not a big one, but it did show the many buildings in the community. Andrea supposed it didn't hurt to just have a refresher of where everything was. She hadn't been to Pelican Town in twelve years, after all.

When she stepped outside, she looked around to see if she could spot anyone she could recognize. But, to no avail. Andrea sighed and continued on her way to the farm. A few people had went up and talked to her, but none of them were people that she recognized. Once she reached the old pathway leading to her farm, she was now left alone, to her relief. Being the 'new girl' in town was starting to make Andrea somewhat uncomfortable. It felt rather awkward, especially since some of the townsfolk knew who she was, and others didn't at all. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She needed to know how to relax. It was her new life. She could push all of her old problems away, but something was stopping her. She was starting to wonder if she was really making the right decision.  
  
  


Hours passed until the moon was starting to rise and the stars began to show. Andrea scoured the town to see if she could find her childhood friends, but no such luck appeared. She went to each of her friends' houses to see if she could find them, and she turned up empty handed. Right now, everything was a mess. She thought that it was foolish of her to think that she could make things the way they were before. Her old friends had probably moved on and forgot about her. Andrea thought so, and she was sure of that.

Underneath the stars, she sat on the porch stairs, having a mini pity party for herself. She sulked and watched as the stars shone in the midnight sky. It was a clear night, no clouds to be seen at all. She pulled her hoodie's sleeves over her hands to stay warm, as the winds were colder at night, especially in early spring. Andrea looked up at the night sky, and the corners of her mouth crept up. She remembered the time where she and her grandfather would stargaze on clear nights like this. He had told her about a certain star they would spend all night looking for; the very star that twinkled among the others. The one that he prayed to every night. The one that brought him his happiness. During Andrea's time in the city, she sometimes spent all night trying to find that very star in the sky. She wasn't looking for anything special; just some comfort to get her through her daily troubles. But, to this day, she still couldn't see it. She had blamed it on the lights of the city being too bright. Maybe now she could see that star.

Just then, a thought occurred to her, that maybe there was no 'magical' star. A wave of sadness and bitterness washed over her as she thought about it. It was most likely a little lie from her grandfather just because she was young. But had he simply lied to Andrea just so she could spend years looking for this one specific star and end up empty handed? Gritting her teeth, she looked out to the emptiness and nothingness that was her land and blinked back hot tears. She pulled her hood over her head and covered her face. All she felt right now was nothing. She felt hollow. Empty. Once again, she looked up at the sky.

"Did you just make up a story about the twinkling star all those years ago, hoping I would believe you, grandpa?" she murmured. "Because, if you did, that was just a mean lie. I stayed up for hours looking for it. And all I got was nothing."

As if to answer her question, a faint star twinkled in the midnight abyss of space. Andrea's hazel eyes widened. She was astonished. Was he still looking after her? Had he been telling the truth? Or was she just seeing things? After a few moments, she sighed. It couldn't be true. She was just going crazy. That was it. Her shoulders slumped, and stared numbly at the ground. Off in the distance, she heard voices talking quietly. She froze and held her breath as she tried to hear the conversation.

"Where the hell are we going?" someone hissed. "I can't even see two feet in front of me."

"Just wait!" another exclaimed a little loudly. "There's the old cottage up ahead. You can see the whole sky!"

"I can see the whole sky from my house, Sam. Why couldn't we just go there?"

Andrea's stomach lurched. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be her old friends. Maybe it was just another person in town who was named Sam. She prayed that that was it. The pair continued.

"Sebastian, this view is different. It has stars in the sky all the time!" As if on cue, the two of them appeared from the old walkway, becoming slightly visible because of the stars. Andrea gritted her teeth, trying to bite back a swear as she looked away.

_Shit shit shit._

These two  _were_  her childhood friends. Fantastic. What could be a better way to reunite with old friends than to have them barge onto her property, completely oblivious to the fact that Andrea had moved in here?

"Sam," Sebastian whispered sharply. "I think someone's living here now. I heard a new girl moved into the farm."

Both of their footsteps stopped. "Really? Is she cute?" Sam asked.

"I'm not going to answer that. I haven't even seen her around town."

As if sensing her around, Sebastian scanned the grounds. Andrea clenched her jaw tightly and sat low on the porch. She didn't want to see the both of them. Not now. She caught a glimpse of the both of them out of the corner of her eye and saw their appearances. Sebastian wore dark clothes and had dyed his hair ebony black, while Sam was the complete opposite. He had spiked blonde hair and wore bright colors. They had changed. Looking up at the sky one more time, she saw the same star that had twinkled before. The star that her grandfather had pointed out all those years ago. Suddenly, her instincts flared and she stood up slowly, careful not to show her face. Her clumsiness got the best of her, because as she was walking up onto the next step, her foot slipped but managed to plant it firmly on the porch a little too loudly for her tastes.

Once again, she bit back a swore as she heard the noise. She felt Sebastian and Sam stop and stare at her. Her cheeks flushed and she gritted her teeth. With a quick glance at the two, who were standing at the edge of her land, she made eye contact with Sebastian. Andrea turned quickly, nearly stumbling again, before dashing into her cottage. Closing the door behind her, she quickly locked it shut and collapsed against it. She sat at the foot of the door, pulling her hood down from her face and heard Sam and Sebastian once again.

"Sam!" Sebastian spat. "I told you someone lived here!"

"...Shit."

Sebastian groaned as he left Andrea's farm, with Sam trailing behind. Once she couldn't hear their footsteps or voices anymore, Andrea sighed deeply while brushing back a strand of hair that fell from her bun.  _What a great first impression I made._ She touched her cheeks. They were still burning violently. Her first day in Pelican Town took a sudden turn. An unexpected visit from her childhood friends. At least she found two of them- now all she had to do was look for Abigail. But Andrea couldn't stop thinking about the star that she saw twinkle. It wasn't her imagination. It was real. Maybe she was a bit too late on making a wish or a prayer, but she made one just in case.

_Please, let me reunite with my old friends; Sam, Abigail and Sebastian. I want things to be just like the old times, when I was once happy on this very farm._


	5. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks, flashbacks, and more flashbacks! Oh, and did I mention flashbacks?

_One by one, her friends came running up to her, shouting her name._

_"Annie!"_

_With a grin, she took a step forward to then be greeted with a big hug from a girl with chestnut brown hair. Behind the girl were two boys—one with blonde hair and one with ginger hair. All four of them played together—laughing and running until they didn't have any energy left. They had their own little adventures, exploring her grandfather's farm, making up stories and getting ice cream. Everything was perfect, and Andrea was overjoyed to see her friends once again. At sundown, her and her friends all climbed one of the biggest trees in her grandfather's fields. Branches swayed ever so lightly in the summer wind as they all talked and talked. Andrea turned her gaze away from her friends and looked out to the setting sun. She tipped her head back and used one hand to shield her eyes from the sun's bright rays. Suddenly, her friends' voices faded and she couldn't see anymore. She looked around, hoping her eyes were just playing tricks on her. She could still hear them, calling out her name from afar. Andrea cried after them to wait up, her voice echoey in the void of darkness. The laughter and voices of the other children had died out._

_She was all alone._   
  
  


Andrea slowly opened her eyes as she awoke from her slumber. Dazed and confused, she blinked as the sunlight filtered from her bedroom window. She wasn't fully awake, but she was at least three quarters of the way there. She lifted her head from her pillow and sat up in bed as the natural light came pouring into the room.  _And now, back to reality._ Rubbing a tired eye, she looked over to the window. The sun wasn't as bright, so she realized that she actually woke up early and wasn't wanting to fall back asleep, to her surprise. She was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Damian hadn't called her in the wee hours of the morning. Andrea let out a slow breath. The warm morning sun was nice and relaxing, but she needed to get to work. After all, her crops weren't going to water themselves.

She was reluctant to take a shower this morning, so she pulled herself away from the comfortable bedding and shuffled towards her closet. After browsing through her selection of clothing, she settled on wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. She shrugged on a red checkered flannel, tied her hair up into a ponytail and slipped on her leather boots. With that, she tucked her phone into her back pocket, walked out the front door and onto her porch. A cool spring breeze brushed across her face and she took in a deep breath.  _I could get used to this._ She smiled to herself and climbed down the stairs in search for her tools. She retrieved her watering can from the large crate tucked away at the side of her farmhouse and went to work. Watering the crops was an easy enough task and didn't eat up much of her time. She thought about clearing out more of the fields— _her_  fields—but her limbs were still sore from yesterday's work.

After Andrea was finished watering the last of her crops, she looked around her farm. Trees, stones and twigs were still scattered across the grounds and she highly doubted that it could take a single day to clear it all out. Just the thought of it made her body ache. Instead, she turned and glanced at the clearing which led to both the bus stop and the town. She thought about what had happened yesterday. Sam and Sebastian; two of the three childhood friends she remembered from her early days had managed to stumble upon her. Whether it was on accident or on purpose, Andrea didn't care. She knew that they were there and that they weren't just staying away from her. They also didn't know that it was her who moved onto the farm, so that was an added bonus for Andrea. She could make her proper reintroductions and not embarrass herself like she had done the other day. How hard could it be? She sighed deeply. Who was she kidding? Of course it was going to be hard. For Yoba's sake, she hadn't seen them for the past twelve years. That large time period had given them the opportunity to change; be it good or bad. She remembered seeing Sebastian and his emo-like appearance. He had dark hair, dark clothes and what looked to be a dark personality. To make a long story short, he appeared to be rough around the edges. Both Sam and Abigail could be like that as well, but Andrea hoped they weren't.

She brushed a stray lock of hair that fell from her ponytail behind her ear and set off into town. Before she did so, she checked the time on her phone. Apparently, it was already half past eight, so she had slept in.  _Well, shit._ She doubted that she'd need to buy any more seeds from Pierre (especially considering she had spent most of her money on those cauliflower seeds), so she didn't need to go into town for any particular reason. Still, she could explore the town and meet a few people she hadn't seen around before. She put her watering can away and took a few steps before something caught her eye. Tucked away just around the back of her farm was a large mulberry tree. Its first limb was no more than two feet off the ground and additional branches were spaced up the stem. Andrea walked up to the tree and spotted very faint writing that was barely readable. Someone had written ' _Sam was here,'_ in sloppy handwriting. Below that, someone had also written three other names.

_'Abby, Annie and Seb were also here!'_

Andrea's eyes widened. She recognized the heartwarmingly familiar handwriting on the tree. Twelve years ago, her friends had carved out their names on this very tree. Andrea smiled as she placed her hand against the raw bark. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.  
  
  
  


_Eight-year old Andrea sat on her grandfather's porch, talking and laughing with her friend Abigail. She looked over to her left, where her grandfather was talking to her friend Sam's parents. He was tugging at his father's jacket, asking him something. His father gave him an answer, and in response, he made a pouty face. Beside him, Sebastian frowned and beckoned him to follow. They walked over to Andrea and Abigail in disappointment._

_"Bad news," Sam pouted. "Dad won't let me borrow his pocket knife."_

_"Why in the world would we need a pocket knife?" asked Abigail._

_"To carve out our names on our climbing tree, duh!"_

_The ginger haired Sebastian folded his arms. "Sometimes you have the stupidest ideas, Sam."_

_"I do not!"_

_"We could just use a stick to carve out our names," Andrea pointed out, brushing a lock of hair from her face. The three of her friends all looked over at her._

_"Hey, great idea!" Abigail exclaimed, giving Andrea a side hug before standing up from where she was sitting._

_Andrea smiled shyly and stood up. She glanced at her friends and looked over at the mulberry tree in the distance._

_"Race you guys there."_

_Sam shot her a grin. "You're on."_

_He started counting to three, but Sebastian, Abigail and Andrea completely ignored him. They were already racing across the fields. Sam called after them to wait up, and they all just laughed in unison. The trio were blazing across to get to their tree with Andrea in the lead. Although she was small, she was fast. A quick dash later, she planted her hand against the mulberry tree's bark and halted. She turned to see Sebastian and Abigail close behind as they also reached out to tag the tree. Sam managed to catch up, but he was laughably slow. Once his hand was touching the tree, he bent down and gasped for breath._

_"I think... that's... enough exercise... for my... entire... life..." he said between pants._

_"Come on, that wasn't so bad!" Abigail laughed. Sebastian and Andrea joined Abigail in her laughter, leaving Sam flustered._

_"Whatever," he mumbled, kicking a stray pebble to the side. "Let's just find a stick so we can write our names on the tree."_

_The four of them scattered about, finding whatever stick they could use. Andrea found a good variety of sticks, but they were either too dull or too flimsy._

_"Any luck?" Sebastian asked her. She shook her head in response._

_"Found one!" shouted Sam, waving the stick above his head. The four friends crowded around the tree and one by one, began to carve out their names on the mulberry tree's bark. Sam was the first as he wrote out 'Sam was here'. Abigail snatched the stick out of his hand and began to write her name. From there, Andrea and Sebastian took turns and wrote out 'Abby, Annie and Seb were also here!'_

_"Why're we doing this?" Andrea asked._

_"Because," Sam grinned. "This'll be a way to remember that we all hung out here! And whenever you're gone, we can visit this tree and remember that you were here with us."_

_"Nothing lasts forever, Annie." Abigail said, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Someday you'll have this farm and we can all get together to remember the good times!"_   
  
  
  


Andrea blinked. After all these years, this very tree was still here.  _Did the three of them visit this while I was gone for twelve years?_  She swallowed nervously. The day she left Pelican Town when she was little was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She remembered what her friends had said when they bid their goodbyes.   
  
  
  


_"You'll come back, right?" Abigail asked as the bus arrived. Andrea only nodded slowly. She didn't want to let them down, but she knew that she wouldn't be returning any time soon._

_"We'll be waiting for you!" Sam called after her as she was climbing onto the bus._

_"See you soon." Sebastian said, waving._

_Andrea looked out the window to see her friends waving. She waved back with a small smile on her face. As the bus began to move, a tear rolled down her cheek. Little did they know that she wasn't ever coming back._

Pain spiked in her chest. She had lied to her friends. The people that she had called her best friends. For twelve years, Andrea never came back to the valley and left them waiting for Yoba knew how long. She clenched her jaw in frustration. Twelve years later, here she was. The "new" farmer.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Andrea spent the rest of the day exploring the town. She had met Elliott, a writer who lived in a cabin right by the beach, Willy, the local fisherman, Alex, a fresh-out-of-high-school jock, and Leah, a freelance artist who lived just outside of town. She didn't bother to seek out her friends. They all had probably despised her by now. By the time she had gotten back to her farm, the sun was beginning to set. She looked around her bare fields and wondered how her grandfather could deal with so much farm work. Although, this was her second day in Pelican Town and there wasn't much she could do with very little money. Sitting on her front steps, Andrea sighed. Back in the city, there was opportunity for her. Here, she couldn't even scrape by or even bother to get together with her old friends. Thinking back, maybe a boring office job would be better than doing dirty farm work. Hastily, she called Damian.

First ring. Second ring. Third ring.

"Hey!"

"Hey, Damian."

"How's the second day going? Meet any cuties yet?"

Andrea rolled her eyes. "Of course that's the first thing that you'd ask," she said. "Listen, I just need some advice."

"Shoot."

"Do you think I made the right decision dropping everything and moving here?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Damian, I'm barely scraping by. And I can't even pick up the nerve to try and find my old friends."

There was a moment of silence between them. After a while, Damian said, "Shit. That bad?"

"Yep."

"Well, I'll tell you this; it's only your second day in the valley. Nothing can... really be rushed. Just keep on pushing forward, Andrea. I know you can."

Andrea smiled. "Thanks, Dame. You really have a way with words."

"No problem."

"Anyways, I'd better get going. Talk to you later."

"Later."

As she ended the call, Andrea sighed and smiled. Words of encouragement from Damian always seemed to lift her spirits. Still, her troubles in her head didn't go away. She needed something to clear her head. Standing up, she opened her front door in search for her guitar. Entering her bedroom, she picked up her guitar case and walked back to her porch. From there, she opened it up and lifted her guitar out of its case. She sat back down on the stairs and began plucking at the guitar's strings. Eventually, she strummed out a tune that sounded pleasant to her ears. Soon enough, Andrea began to play a song she remembered by heart; her grandfather's song written for her. A small smile touched her lips as she played the opening chords. This was a moment where she could forget her troubles; where she could forget her worries. It was peaceful.

The moment she ended the song, she heard distant voices talking one by one.

"Okay, look, we heard music coming from here. That means someone  _did_  move into the old farm." Andrea didn't recognize this voice.

"So what does that have to do with you dragging our asses over here to this run-down farm?" She recognized Sebastian's deep voice.

"So you can apologize for waltzing on in to whoever's farm this is, completely oblivious to the fact that someone's living here!"

"It was Sam's fault, anyways." Sebastian grumbled.

"Look, I didn't know that someone lived here!" Sam. "Is there any chance it might've been—"

"No. Don't even get me started about Andrea." Sebastian interrupted him.

Andrea's stomach turned hearing her name come out of Sebastian's mouth. They  _did_  remember. 

"She said that she'd be coming back, and guess what? She didn't." Sebastian continued. "For more than a fucking  _decade_  we waited for her and we never saw her again. End of story."

Her stomach knotted up tightly. Never in her life did she realize how much words could hurt. But his words were true. She did lie. She did promise that she would come back to see her friends, but in the end, she never did. Until now. She pressed her lips together in a thin line.

"Andrea or not, you guys are still apologizing." Andrea realized that the voice she was hearing was Abigail's. "And, Seb, calm down. She didn't say when she'd be coming back, after all. If she did move in, then I'd be happy. I miss her."

Andrea heard Sebastian scoff. Sam said nothing. She got up and lowered her guitar back into its case and sighed softly. Closing the case, she slid it aside. She would put it back inside her farmhouse later. But right now, she had bigger problems to deal with. One was having to deal with a heavy amount of guilt. Another one was dealing with her childhood friends who she hadn't seen for years on end. Abigail, Sam and Sebastian appeared from the old walkway that lead to the town. Andrea could see their appearances with help from the night sky's stars that illuminated the three of them. She knew how Sam and Sebastian looked, so didn't really need to look at the two. But Abigail's look was shocking. Instead of her chestnut brown hair Andrea had remembered from her early memories, she had striking purple hair that contrasted her pale complexion.

As Andrea climbed down the porch stairs, she heard Abigail audibly gasp. She felt her face flush as her friend called out her name.

"Andrea? Is that you?"

She plastered on a grin. "Heeey, guys."

"Oh my god, it  _is_  you!" Abigail exclaimed, rushing up to her and giving her a big hug. "I missed you so much!"

"Easy does it, Abby. You're gonna kill poor Andrea." Sam laughed.

Andrea grimaced. It wasn't the fact that she didn't know what to do, but it was the way Abigail had hugged her. It was overwhelming, and it made her uncomfortable. Once Abigail released Andrea from the hug, she immediately looked at her with concern.

"You... okay?"

"Yeah. I just... don't do well with hugs." Andrea said, scratching the back of her neck.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her, but then let out a laugh. "You sound just like Sebastian." Andrea momentarily looked over at him.

"You've changed," she said. "Last time I saw you, you were still a ginger."

Sebastian rolled his eyes then gave a half-smile. "And you haven't changed much. Still has those freckles, still a shortie."

"For fuck's sake," Andrea spat. "I haven't had a single growth spurt since I turned fourteen."

Abigail looked at her funny and laughed. "Are you serious?" she asked once her laughter died down.

"Believe me or not," Andrea sighed, sitting down on the porch steps along with the three of her friends. "but it's true."

"Sooo, what brings you here twelve years later?" Sam wondered.

"One word; life," Andrea replied. "It's just... really complicated."

"What've you been up to for the last decade?" Abigail questioned. "Spill the tea, Annie!"

"For one, I haven't really been up to much. Ever since I left, I've been moping over this farm for the longest time until I forgot about it." Andrea answered. "I had a pretty lame job for about a year or so, working for Joja Corp. One day I suddenly remembered this place and opened the envelope my grandpa gave me when he passed." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"Rough. Anything else?" her purple-haired friend asked. "What about your love life?"

Andrea rolled her eyes. "Who are you and what have you done to my friend? Although, I'm not sure if I want her back..." The corners of her mouth crept up.

"Come on, you know what I mean!" Abigail laughed, playfully punching Andrea on the shoulder. She flinched. Sebastian must have seen her reaction, and shot Abigail a warning glance.

"Sorry." she grinned sheepishly.

"It's fine." Andrea waved away her apology. She lowered her eyes, remembering what happened two years ago. The memories stayed in her head, haunting her for Yoba knew how long. For a while, there was an awkward silence between the four of them. Andrea could tell there was a clear distance among her and her friends. Back then, socializing was much more easier. What had happened? Now, striking up a simple conversation was turning into a challenge. Andrea ran her fingers through her hair. Every moment of silence felt like an hour, slowing ticking by. To her relief, Sam was the one to break the awkward silence.

"So... you play guitar, huh?" He snuck a few glances at the guitar case tucked away to the side of Andrea's porch.

"Yeah. I've been playing for over a year," she answered, nodding. "Started just before I... left." She inwardly cringed. Even thinking about that time when she left left a sore spot for her.

"I'm guessing you heard us when we were walking over here?" asked Sebastian. Andrea nodded. "Shit. I'm sorry about what I said. I guess I was just frustrated, not seeing you for over ten years."

She sighed. "And I'm sorry for lying. I just didn't want to let you guys down, even though I knew that I was already doing so."

Abigail raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"If I had said the truth about me leaving, you'd be upset. When I lied and said that I'd be back, you guys kept your hopes up, but then you realized that I lied. You'd be upset either way." Andrea explained. Her friends looked at her for a short moment. The only thing that came out of one of their mouths was a just simple "oh".

Sam looked at her briefly with a look in his eye. He then said, "The past is the past, right? Let's just move on. We accept your apology." He gave her a wide grin. Andrea found herself smiling back.

"Thanks, guys,"

"Not a problem!" Abigail explained. Sebastian gave Andrea a half-smile, then checked his watch.

"Hey, it's getting late. We should probably go." he announced.

"Already? But we just got here!" Sam protested.

"Have it your way. But if you want an earful from Jodi, be my guest." Sebastian stood up.

Sam groaned, getting up from where he was sitting. Abigail followed, leaving Andrea still sitting on the stairs.

"So, game night at Sam's tomorrow?" Abigail asked both boys.

"Yeah. Seven o' clock, usual time." Sam replied.

"Game night?" Andrea wondered, finally standing up.

"Yep! Every Sunday, me, Sam and Seb all meet up and play games," Abigail responded. "Care to join?"

"Sounds great. What time?"

"Seven o' clock in the evening. Sam's house."

Andrea nodded. "Alright. See you guys there."


End file.
